Shoe strap holder for display purposes

ABSTRACT

A display device for women&#39;&#39;s shoes having a heel strap is a one piece resilient strip of material with one end pointed. The pointed end is pressed into the back of the heel and has a spring portion proximate this end which abuts the heel. The opposite end of the strip resiliently engages and urges outwardly the top rear of the heel strap.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,919,731

Walters Nov. 18, 1975 [5 SHOE STRAP HOLDER FOR DISPLAY 3,076,984 2/1963 Walters 12/1 R PURPOSES 3,197,793 8/1965 Walters 12/1 R 3/1966 Walters 12/1 R Inventor: Ben Walters, 4600 E. 11th Ave,

Hialeah, Fla. 33013 Filed: Dec. 9, 1974 Appl. No.: 530,977

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Burlingame 24/8 CC Primary ExaminerGeo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or FirmHoward C. Miskin ABSTRACT A display device for womens shoes having a heel strap is a one piece resilient strip of material with one end pointed. The pointed end is pressed into the back of the heel and has a spring portion proximate this end which abuts the heel. The opposite end of the strip resiliently engages and urges outwardly the top rear of the heel strap.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 BAckoRouNDoF THE INVENTION.

' This invention relates to a device used in displaying stands in counter displays. The type of shoe for which this device is used advantageously has a strap extending around the heel of the wearer which portion of the strap is unsupported. This type of shoe construction is used quite often in womens shoes, such as dressshoes or sandals.

In womens shoes having an open heel portion, the strap is relatively long and narrow and extends about the heel portion of the wearer. This heel strap, since it is unsupported, would droop toward or touch the heel of the shoe when the shoe is displayed unless the heel strap is supported in some manner. The drooping effect is unesthetic in appearance, sothat various types of supports for displaying shoes of this type were heretofore used. One type of support is a rigid plastic piece, having en elongated portion supported by the heel portion of the base of the shoe and is shown in US. Pat. No. Re 25,922. While this type of structure supports the shoe strap, it is relatively expensive, difficult to fabricate, visible, andis not adaptable readily to various size shoes orvarious lengths of straps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device, simple in construction, for holding the heel strap of shoes in upright position, so as to provide an esthetically pleasing appearance of the shoes displayed both in windows and behind counters of stores.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for varying lengths and shapes of straps of shoes displayed, which is not readily visible during use, inexpensive to make, convenient to use, rapid to position, and durable.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device for holding the straps of a shoe on display in wearing position, which exerts a continuousbut flexible support for the strap of the shoe.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a one piece strand of flexible material having a base portion adjacent to one end and an upright portion, said base including at least one loop or coil of the strand with the one end of the strand being pointed and extending at an angle greater than an acute angle to the axis of the other end.

In its preferred form, the strap holder includes a single loop of strand proximate the pointed end and in a plane generally parallel to a plane containing the axis of the strand, the pointed end being generally transverse to the axis of the strand. Another embodiment has the coil in a plane generally transverse to the plane containing the axis of the strand, with the face of the coil abutting the heel end.

The present device jams the pointed end into the back of the shoe, so that the loop is wedged against the shoe. When the shaft is flexed in use, the strap is kept taut and a force is exerted on the pointed end urging it into the shoe, restraining the strand from twisting or the pointed end from detaching itself.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout.

BRIEF; DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a womans'shoe having the heel strap supported by a device in accordance with the features of this invention; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1 showing one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective elevational viewof another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to one embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the support device indicated generally at 10 is made of a flexible yieldable material of one continuous piece such as in the form of a strip, rod, wire or strand of spring steel. Device 10 is generally logitudinally extending and has a generally upright portion 12 and a base portion 14 adjacent one end 15. As shown, base 14 includes at least one loop or coil of the strand indicated at 16, in which the coil extends upwardly and crosses over itself generally transverse to the portion of the strand beingcrossed. End 15 terminates in a pointed tip 18. Upright portion 12 has an end 20, opposite to end 15, which is bowed or curved, such as at 22 to form a groove or recess 24, which aids in holding a strap 26 of the shoe 28 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Groove 24 faces in a direction opposite to tip 18. Upright portion at 12 is bowed such as at 22 and to provide and aid in springiness and flexibility of the device.

As shown best in FIG. 1, a womans shoe 28 has a loop heel strap 26 and a heel portion 32. To hold strap 26 in the worn position when the shoe 28 is in display, support device 10 is mounted on shoe 28 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The strap 26 is positioned in recess 24 of the upright portion 12 of support device 10. Bowed portions 30 and 22 of device 10 are flexed, when pointed end 18 is pressed into the rear of heel 32 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the end 20 engages strap 26. In use, end 20 of device 10 is biased in clockwise direction, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as it is urged to return to its unstressed position, shown in phamtom lines in FIG. 2, which urges tip 18 into heel 32 via loop 16. The loop 16 of the base portion 14 is pressed against the back of heel 32, in use, as seen in FIG. 2, and is pivoted there against the urging end 18 into the heel to prevent tilting or sidewise movement of device 10. Strap 26 is supported in an elevated position as shown in FIG. 1 and will remain in this position even when the shoe is handled. The low visibility of device 10 avoids any unsightly appearance and avoids detracting from the appearance of the shoe itself.

FIG. 4 shows the further embodiment of a support device 36 which is generally similar in form as the device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As seen best in FIG. 4, device 36 has a loop portion 38 and an upper portion 40 and a recess 42 proximate the end of the upper portion 40. Device 36 is bowed at 44 to provide biasing of the device during use and terminates, proximate to loop 38, in a longer straight portion 46 which abuts the heel of the shoe. Loop 38 continues, terminating in a pointed end 48, which passes transversely over portion 46. Flat portion 46 aids in resisting twisting movement during use by resting against the heel of the shoe.

Another embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5, which shows a device 49 which is generally similar to the device 36 of FIG. 4 except loop 52 adjacent the pointed end 56 lies in a plane generally transverse to the plane containing the axis of the strand 54. Pointed end 56 is generally perpendicular to the plane containing loop 52. This device works generally similar in manner as device described above, in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Loop 52 lies generally flat against the heel and during use is pressed against the heel, resisting any twisting force.

A still further embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6 which shows device 58 having a base 60, which includes a reverse loop 62 from which pointed end 64 extends and crosses over strand 59. The end 66 is opposite pointed end 64. Device 58 operates in the same manner as described above.

Other shapes of recesses or bends adjacent the upper end of the upright end, can be used to retain the heel strap of the shoe in relatively fixed position and avoid any slipping of the strap.

While the various embodiments of the support devices have been shown made of a springy metal, they could be made of many types of resilient plastic, such as polypropylene and polystyrene.

Furthermore, the loops of the embodiments shown as illustrated can be made in the form of a spiral. It has been found that the pointed end can be inserted into the heel of the shoe about three-sixteenths of an inch when the loop is jammed against the heel. When the upper end is flexed during use a back pressure is exerted on the shoe strap and on the embedded pointed end inserted in the back of the shoe, thereby reducing the likelihood of the device from twisting, if the shoe is moved during use, even while the shoe is being handled.

While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is obvious that many changes in the support device can be made without departing from the scope of this invention in the light of the above teachings. Therefore it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to details of the construction and arrangement of parts specifically described or illustrated and is to be limited only by the 4 I spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed .is:

1. A display device for use with a shoe having a heel portion and an adjustable heel strap comprising a continuous. strand of flexible material having a base adjacent one end and a generally longitudinally extending portion containing an opposite end, said base including at least one loop of such strand, said one end being pointed and being of a length sufficient to be urged into the heel of a shoe for jamming the loop against the outer face of the heel when the opposite end engages the heel strap and the strand is flexed, so that the strap is maintained taut and the pointed end is urged into the heel.

2. A device as described in claim 1 wherein the plane containing the loop is generally paralled to a plane containing the axis of the strand.

3. A device as described in claim 2 where said loop is in the form of a spiral.

4. A device as described in claim 2 wherein said loop is formed of the strand reversing itself and crossing over itself and terminating in a pointed end.

5. The device as in claim 2 wherein said generally longitudinally extending portion is bowed and has a recess adjacent the opposite end, said recess facing in a direction opposite to that faced by the pointed end.

6. The device as described in claim 1 wherein the plane containing the loop is generally transverse to the plane containing the axis of the strand.

7. A device as described in claim 1 wherein said strand is generally uniform in cross section throughout its length.

8. A device as in claim 1 wherein said generally longitudinally extending portion is bowed adjacent the opposite end of said strand to form a recess, said recess facing a direction opposite to that faced by the pointed end.

9. The device as described in claim 1 wherein said loop is of a generally concave-convex shape, with the concave shape facing said pointed end.

10. A device as described in claim 1 wherein said loop is formed of a curved portion of said strand having an open section of the circumference. 

1. A display device for use with a shoe having a heel portion and an adjustable heel strap comprising a continuous strand of flexible material having a base adjacent one end and a generally longitudinally extending portion containing an opposite end, said base including at least one loop of such strand, said one end being pointed and being of a length sufficient to be urged into the heel of a shoe for jamming the loop against the outer face of the heel when the opposite end engages the heel strap and the strand is flexed, so that the strap is maintained taut and the pointed end is urged into the heel.
 2. A device as described in claim 1 wherein the plane containing the loop is generally paralled to a plane containing the axis of the strand.
 3. A device as described in claim 2 where said loop is in the form of a spiral.
 4. A device as described in claim 2 wherein said loop is formed of the strand reversing itself and crossing over itself and terminating in a pointed end.
 5. The device as in claim 2 wherein said generally longitudinally extending portion is bowed and has a recess adjacent the opposite end, said recess facing in a direction opposite to that faced by the pointed end.
 6. The device as described in claim 1 wherein the plane containing the loop is generally transverse to the plane containing the axis of the strand.
 7. A device as described in claim 1 wherein said strand is generally uniform in cross section throughout its length.
 8. A device as in claim 1 wherein said generally longitudinally extending portion is bowed adjacent the opposite end of said strand to form a recess, said recess facing a direction opposite to that faced by the pointed end.
 9. The device as described in claim 1 wherein said loop is of a generally concave-convex shape, with the concave shape facing said pointed end.
 10. A device as described in claim 1 whereiN said loop is formed of a curved portion of said strand having an open section of the circumference. 